The Confluence

We’re expecting 2,500 outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to be attending our Recreation Northwest EXPO on May 2nd, 2020. Last year, we reached capacity hosting over 75 vendors inside the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, so this year we’re blowing the roof off and expanding outdoors—where an outdoor recreation expo belongs!

Our 2020 exhibitor list is growing: gear and equipment retailers, coaches and outfitters, public lands officials, stewardship and education groups, tour guides, health and fitness coaches, outdoor activity clubs, race and event experts, recreation media and outdoor photographers. This EXPO has sold out in years past with a waitlist over a mile long, so register your company today early this year and claim your spot while there’s still time. (Early Bird rates end March 1st)

Fairhaven’s lower business district will be buzzing with fun activities, clinics, demonstrations, entertainment, food-trucks, and opportunities for visitors to try out whatever it is your business has to offer. Moving the EXPO from February to May provides more opportunity to give attendees a hands-on experience- Evil Bikes will be hosting a beer garden in their parking lot, adjacent to a kids bike rodeo with Run, Ride and Dig and bike entertainers from Lenny’s Bike shop. Attendees can demo kayaks and paddleboards at Marine Park and check out the new camping expo to learn how to make kayak or bike camping easier and more efficient. We’ll also have space reserved to show off the latest in Camper Vans, camp trailers and other recreation vehicles. Our Recreation Northwest EXPO is the perfect event to engage your customers in a fun, photo-worthy experience while they discover your products and services.

As leaders in the outdoor industry, it comes as no surprise to us that more and more people are heading outdoors to ground-down with nature. Recreation Northwest’s Parkscriptions program is gaining steam as local health officials prescribe more time in nature to lower stress, improve blood pressure and boost mental health. The Recreation Northwest EXPO 2020 convenes outdoor retailers and outfitters, guides and equipment rental organizations with individuals seeking how to maximize their fun outside, improving their health and deepening their connection with our local environment.

If you’re showcasing explorations by boot or bike, we’re transitioning your vision from virtual to real: creating authentic backpacking and bicycling campgrounds where you can hang and pitch your new line of boots, shoes, hammocks, panniers, stoves, packs, camp chairs, sleeping bags, tents, safety gear, with all the fancy trimmings. Got new backcountry recipes? We’re providing a place for you to teach and sample ‘em out! Open up your 2020 conversion van, overland camper or recreational vehicle for people to experience the latest and greatest in mobile comfort, adventuring, and living. The opportunities to engage with outdoor enthusiasts are endless!

The kids bike rodeo and entertainment from Lenny’s Bike shop will be at Evil Bikes’ headquarters offers attendees an opportunity to play with local spokes organizations and retailers, demo’ing 2020 models of electric, road, mountain, and commuter bikes. Participation is the name of the game! Got kids bikes? We’re staging a bicycle rodeo. Promoting E-bikes? You can accompany first-time E-riders on their initial E-adventure down the interurban trail. Photo below: Lenny’s BMX Stunt Team.

Bellingham’s Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures will be hosting paddling technique and safety clinics alongside other aquatic retailers, guides, and water steward organizations down at Marine Park. The beach slopes right into the Salish Sea for easy-access. Be sure to sign up for the EXPO to get your brand, guiding service, or rowing club in front of a hyper-targeted market interested and invested in outdoor recreation. If you can give your audience a way to engage with your product—even better! Don’t miss an opportunity to get in front of over 2,500 outdoor enthusiasts. If your goal in 2020 is to expand your visibility, grow your network, and harness the multitude of ways people play in, preserve, and explore our great outdoors, then consider becoming a member of the Washington Outdoor Business Alliance. The Alliance represents hikers, bikers, runners, paddlers, boaters, equestrians, anglers—all outdoor enthusiasts; we represent YOU! When you join, your business could be eligible for event savings, cross-promotional marketing opportunities, and event sponsorships. Let’s give it up to trailblazers like Gear Aid, Superfeet, Trail Boss, KAVU, Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures, SMC Gear, eqpd, Pandion Consulting, Port of Bellingham, and the North Cascades Institute. These organizations and businesses have helped us lay down a foundation to which we’d like to add your name! Be part of this groundswell—connecting, protecting and growing the outdoor recreation system in Washington State.

As Executive Director of Recreation Northwest, Todd Elsworth promotes outdoor recreation and brings community together to enjoy, preserve and improve the places where we play. His decades of extensive event production, marketing and writing experience propel this passion. You might bump into him and his daughter Violet while they’re biking, hiking, paddling or skiing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.